NFL Uprights Are 18 Feet 6 Inches Apart. High School Uprights Are Almost 5 Feet Wider.
NFL and college goal posts are 18 feet, 6 inches wide. High school posts are 23 feet, 4 inches, a gap of 4 feet, 10 inches.
Rule 1, Section 3, Article 1 of the 2026 NFL rulebook calls for a crossbar 18 feet, 6 inches long, with its top face 10 feet above the ground. High school goal posts are built 23 feet, 4 inches wide. That makes the high school target 4 feet, 10 inches wider.
College went wide first
Football Archaeology reports that college football widened its uprights from 18 feet, 6 inches to 23 feet, 4 inches in 1959 because field goals had become too rare. It says high schools followed in 1971.
The 1991 change
The NCAA returned to 18 feet, 6 inches for the 1991 season. The Oregon Daily Emerald reported that September that the rules committee believed teams were putting too much emphasis on kickers. High schools kept the wider posts.
What it means for a kicker
A kicker who moves from high school to college loses almost five feet of target. The width stays the same if he later moves up to the NFL.
Quick answers
- Are high school goal posts wider than NFL goal posts?
- Yes. High school posts are 23 feet, 4 inches wide, and NFL posts are 18 feet, 6 inches.
- Are college and NFL goal posts the same width?
- Yes. The NCAA narrowed its posts to 18 feet, 6 inches for the 1991 season.
- Why did college football narrow its goal posts?
- The Oregon Daily Emerald reported in 1991 that the rules committee believed teams were putting too much emphasis on kickers.
Sources
- 2026 Official Playing Rules of the National Football League
- Football Archaeology, Today's Tidbit: 1876 IFA Rule 4
- Oregon Daily Emerald, September 27, 1991
- Jaypro Max-1 high school goal post listing, Sports Facilities Group
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